With both clubs sporting some green in their uniforms and playing with green bases on St. Patrick's Day, Niese struck out four and walked one. He allowed Chris Johnson's home run in the fourth, Johnson's third of spring training. The drive went off the scoreboard in left-field.

"It was one of those things," Niese said. "I got two quick outs and should've been pounding the zone there.

I nibbled with my changeup and fell behind."

Atlanta worked the count and ran Niese's pitch count up to 83.

Bidding to earn the fifth spot in the Braves' rotation, Julio Teheran allowed a leadoff homer to Jordany Valdespin, then gave up just two more hits. He walked two.

Valdespin's homer landed on the walkway beside the berm down the right-field line, his fourth home run of the exhibition season.

"He hit a four-seam fastball," said Teheran. "I was behind in the count, so I tried to get ahead. He was jumping on me. I just tried to stay focused on the game and compete after that."

"I've been trying to make the team and trying to impress them," he said. "That's why I've been doing good. A lot of things are working better. I'm throwing my breaking pitch more for strikes. That's the difference from last year. I tried to throw everything by everybody last spring."

He received some advice during the offseason from a pitcher he idolized, former-Met Pedro Martinez. The two had dinner together during winter ball in the Dominican Republic.

"He told me to save my energy for the whole game, and that's what I'm trying to do this year," Teheran said. "It was exciting for me because when I was little, I watched him pitch."